In the field of telecommunications, an "intelligent network" is characterized by the placement of service logic in an external database located outside the switch. The use of such a database, commonly referred to as a service control platform (or "SCP") became popular because, by placing the service logic at a central location, services could be deployed and/or modified without having to re-program every switch in the network. Both wireline and wireless switches using call processing triggers to initiate accesses to the SCP which provides advanced subscriber services. Perhaps the best known of these call processing triggers is the "1-800" trigger. When a switch receives a string of digits to an 800 number, for example, 1-800-4NORTEL, the switch recognizes the first four digits of the number as a trigger and, in response to the receipt thereof, issues a query to an SCP asking that the SCP identify a telephone number which corresponds to "4NORTEL", the digits which followed the trigger. The SCP returns a telephone number which the switch uses to complete the requested connection. Of course, a multitude of other advanced subscriber services, for example, the various calling card services, are also accomplished by trigger-actuated accesses of a SCP by a switch receiving a string of digits matching a trigger.
Presently, detectable triggers are confined to a static set of criteria, all of which are defined by various standards committees. As a result, there are only a limited number of triggers presently in use. Furthermore, to place a new trigger into use requires a lengthy approval process which can delay commercial availability of the trigger by two or more years. While a service provider is free to independently provide triggers recognizable by the switch or switches operated thereby, such independently provided triggers cannot be recognized outside the service provider's system. For example, if the service provider is a cellular or PCS system which uses independently selected triggers, i.e., triggers that actuate upon an occurrence of a criteria not approved by the governing standards committee, to provide advanced subscriber features to their customers, those customers would be unable to use such subscriber features outside the service provider's system, for example, when the customer "roams" outside its home system.